Carton



Aug. 17, 1943. A. B. KNER 2,327,049

CARTON Filed Aug. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fizz/a2 f0?" Q Ze/f lief r gig Aug. 17, 1943. A. B. KNER 1 2,327,049

CARTON Filed Aug. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 cfimz/or g Z %%-q fi Patented Aug. 17, 1943 V CARTON Albert B. Kner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 23, 1941, Serial No. 408,117

. 14 Claims.

This invention relates to cartons, and'more specifically to cartons designed to serve the dual purposes, of merchandising or shipping carton for toys such as childerns toy automobiles, fire trucks and the like, and a'toy garage or building structure adapted for use as .a' housing for storage of the automobiles or trucks in juvenile play. The invention is illustrated and described herein as applied to a toy garage, but it is not limited to such structures as will become apparent.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an inexpensive yet relatively strong and attractive shipping and merchandising carton made of foldable sheet material such as paperboard so constructed and'arranged as to permit it to be used as an adjunct, in play, of the toy merchandise packaged within it, the carton in its preferred form being printed or litho-' graphed on its exterior surfaces to representthe building or other structure into which it is to be transformed and having partsmarked and a1", ranged for use as movable, such as windows, doors and the like, or for use as fixed structural parts of the building.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a toy building structure, such as a garage, composed of two similarly constructed and printed or lithographed cartons and wherein each carton forms a complementary part ofthe final struc ture, the resulting building, if a garage, being adapted to contain or house a plurality of toy automobiles or trucks. 7

Many other objects, uses and advantages of the invention and numerous modifications or variants of construction and arrangement in accordance therewith will become apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of a carton blank according to the invention which has been cut, scored, printed and gummed ready to be folded and secured into container form;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a carton formed from a blank such as that of Figure 1, showing one end closed and the other in process of being closed;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a toy garage or the like formed by combining two cartons of the type illustrated in Figure 2, after the same have been opened at their ends and cut and folded in a manner hereinafter disclosed; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one carton (o1. lei-1'1) when ready to be combined with a second carton in the formation of the building of Figure 3.

The toy garage illustrated in Figure 3 is constructed from two cartons each of which, in turn, may be formed from a blank like the blank of Figure 1. The garage is adapted to receive two automobiles or trucks, one of which may have been packed in one of the two cartons from which the garage is composed and the other in the other. Each of the blanks to be used in forming the composite structure may be printed in a manner and design similar to the other or the blanks may be printed in complementary designs for a particular structure, but various other arrangements may :be adopted. In the present instance itrwill be assumed that the blanks will all be printed alike but in a manner whereby the design and arrangement f one will complement the other so that when the two are put; together the resulting structure represents a single toy building of the desired type. The printing preferably includes certain indications and instructions for cutting, folding, etc., so that a child or other person following the instructions may convert the cartons into the desired-structure.

The blank of Figure 1 may be formed from a printed sheet and is cut, and scored to provide equi-dimensioned side wall panels 2 and 4 and What may be termed top and bottom wall panels 3 and 5, respectively, also of equal'dimensions, the width of each side Wall panelbeing less than the width. of either the top or the bottom panel. Attached along the outer longitudinal edge of the bottom panel 5 is a narrow gummed flap 6 designed to overlap the inside face of the longitudinalmarginal edge of side panel 2 and to be secured thereto, the aforesaid panels being. differentiated from one another by score lines I, 8, 9 and In which facilitate folding the blank into the carton of Figure 2.

In the carton illustrated, each of the four wall panels is provided with a closure flap at. each end. The closure flaps ll, l2, l3, l4, l5 and. [5 attached to panels 2, 3' and 4 are to serve as structural parts of the final building and are printed to indicate or represent such parts, the remaining closer flaps l1 and [8 being printed to represent accessories to be cut out or, optionally, to be left unprinted and removed and discarded. However, it is to be understood that all of the closure flaps may be utilized as or to represent structural parts of the building and that, dependin: upon the purpose, some or all of the closure flaps at one or both ends may'be omitted, that is, cut off, in transforming the carton into a toy building structure. Each part of the carton, therefore, may function first in the carton as a package or container and then as a part of the final toy building structure or as an accessory of the latter.

Preferably each junction of a closure flap with its body panel is scored in the usual manner, this scoring being indicated by lines 20 and 2!. Each of the closure flaps H and I2 is of a length equal to the maximum height of the toy building since they are to become center post supports therefore, but as this length is greater than the width of the top and bottom wall panels, such width determining the greatest transverse dimension of the carton, the excess length of each is set off by a score line 22 so that the extreme end portions become tuck ends 22a adapted to be tucked into the carton ends and to lie against the inner face of the opposite side wall panel 4. Each of flaps ii and i2 is also provided with a pre-forrned slit or slot 23 which, preferably, extends along or close'ly'adjacent to the score line 20 or 2!, as the case may be, and which, for a purpose later revealed, terminates at its ends substantially predetermined distances from the longitudinal or side edges defining the flaps and the side wall panel 2, while each of 'fiaps I and Hi, which are each of a length equal to the great est transverse dimension of the carton, are provided with extension tabs or tongues 24 joined thereto along score lines 25 and adapted to be inserted through slits 23 closing the carton ends.

The carton blanks may be shipped flat and in the form shown in Fig. 1 or they may have their gummed sealing flaps 6 adhesively secured to the inner faces of panels 2 by folding the blank along score lines I and 8; Figure 2 illustrates the manner in which the carton is set up and closed after being filled with the toy automobile or other device for which it is intended. It will be observed that the flaps I3, l4, l1 and 18 are first folded inwardly over the carton ends, followed by flaps I l and I! with the tuck ends 22a turned down and tucked. into the carton ends against the inner face of panel 4, and, finally, the outer closure flaps l5, iii are turned over and the tabs or tongues 26 are tucked through the slits 23. The resulting package is both simple and inexpensive yet strong and effective for its first purpose.

The transformation of two cartons into the toy building structure is quite easily efiected by observing instructions and diagrammatic illustrations which may be printed on the outer face of panel 5 and on that portion of panel 2 which is adjacent to panel 5, the cartons also having printed lines designating where certain cuts and severances are to be made. After both ends of the carton are opened and th contents removed, the first operation is to" cut the panel 2 and the closure flaps l f and I2 from A to'B along the line 26 which may be indicated by scoring or printing or both and which divides the panel and the closure flaps into a relatively narrow strip 2a and a relatively wide strip" 21), the out also dividing the slits 23 into unequal parts. Following division of the panel- 2,. notches and cuts at designated places 2''! and 2 8 form tongues 29 and 3B, the purpose of which will appear.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the narrowstrip- 2a of one of the pair of complementary and similarly printed cartons is to be-interwoven or interlocked with the correspond-'- ing narrow strip 2aof the other car-ton and,

preferably, the arrangement is such that such strips, when interwoven or interlocked, will have their longitudinal edges substantially in register, that is, the free edge of one will be substantially in register with the attached edge of the other and vice versa. It is likewise preferable to have the wide strips of the complementary cartons arranged in the same manner. To this end, those portions of slots 23 and the slots 21 all of which extend partly across the narrow strips 2a, should terminate half way between the longitudinal edges defining strips 2a. Similarly the slots 23 and 28 in the wide strips 217 should each extend half way across those strips 2b.

Printed lines on each of flaps II and I2 designate slots 3! to be cut in the narrow strips of these flaps to accommodate the respectively adjacent tongues 32 to be formed on the wide strips of these flaps by cutting along printed lines 32a shown in Figure. 1. Each of flaps H and [2 should be so cut as to remove those portions bearing the legends F cut off and Cut oil 1'', the removal of these portions preferably leaving the outer end parts of strips 2b, including the tongues 32, of a width substantially equal to the width of the narrow strips 2a. Since the slots 0r slits 32a preferably extend half way across the remaining width of the wide strips 2b and since the portions marked F cut off and Cut off F are all. of the same width in the sample illustrated, the tongues 32 may be passed through slits 3| to a point where the longitudinal edges of the outer end parts of the narrow and wide strips 2a and 2b will register with one another, all a will develop as the description continues. Thefiaps l3 and II are cut to sever the outer portions thereof along diagonal lines C--D, the tongues 24 are cut to sever those portions thereof which are designated E, and the flaps I! and t8 are removed. If desired each of the printed representations of windows shown on panel 4 may be severed about three sides and bent along the fourth side to swing out or in as fancy chooses. The foregoing operations are performed on another carton similar to the first whereupon the two cartons are ready to be put together to provide the structure shown in Figure..3, each carton having the appearance of that shown in Figure 4 if it were folded into form before being joined to the other.

Instead of folding each carton completely into the shape shown in Figure 4, and then putting the two halves of the structure together, it may be preferable to start with the building floor by interconnecting the bottom free edges, that is, the narrow strips 2a of two cartons, with one of tongues 29 overlapping the other and those parts ofthe strips 211 which are adjacent to and connected with the overlapping tongue 29, underlapping the corresponding parts of the other carton strip 2a. In other words, the strips 2a may be said to be interwoven with one another, the contained portions of slots or slim 23 and slits 21 permitting this to be accomplished. Similarly, the wide strips 2?) may be interwoven with one tongue 30 overlapping the opposite tongue 30, as may be observed in Figure 3, the portions of slits 23 contained therein and the slits 28 enabling this to be accomplished. Following the interweaving of the corresponding strips 2a and 2b of the two cartons, the remaining triangular parts of flaps l3 and I4 may be folded down to form gables whereupon the slitted or slotted parts (narrow strip portions) of flaps II and I2 are swung upwardly at right angles to the bottom orfloor of the structure and those parts of'flaps H and i2 which carry the-tongues 32' (wide strip portions) are swung down from the roof to positions overlying the slitted parts and tongues 32 are pushedthrough the slits to form center posts, after the manner-illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thereafter, the flaps l5 and I6, which form the doors, are swung across the openings in each end of the building and may be retained in closed position by interlocking the tabs 24 as will be apparent. 1 I

It is preferable tobring up the slotted (narrow strip) portions of the flap H of one carton and the. flap- I2 of the other so that they lie together with the slots 3! in register and to bring down the tongue carrying (wide strip) portions of these flaps in overlapping relationship with the tongues 32 in register and to pass the two tongues together through both slots 3|, as such an arrangernent gives a greater rigidity to the center posts than if each tongue passes through only one slit. Furthermorepit is preferable to tuck the free corners of the gables l3 and M in between adjacent portions of the strips forming the center posts as so doing prevents the gables from swinging out of position. The doors also may be retained more securely in closed position if, the tab 24 at each end of the structure which has the cutaway portion E along its lower edge is slipped through the slit 3| at that end as may be appreciated. The structure exemplified may readily be converted into other types of building as, for instance, an aeroplane hangar for which purpose it may be preferred to out off and remove the center post at such end from the loweredges of the gables to the ground and to fasten the free corners of the gables as by a staple or otherwise to'support the roof and side walls in proper position.

The toy garage building constructed as here inabove described will house the toy automobiles or other vehicles purchased in the cartons or may be used for other purposes depending upon the fancy of the user thereof. The doors and windows may be opened and shut and the building may be taken down and reconstructed, as desired. Those portions of flaps l3 and M which are to be removed and all of 'flaps i1 and 18 which are to be wholly removed, may be utilized by printing figures and objects thereon, as illustrated in Figure 1, such figures and objects being adapted to be cut out and utilized in play with the building and toys housed therein.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a single example, it should be apparent to all skilled in the art that many variations and adaptations of such structure as well as the development of other structures may be readily effected following the teachings hereof. Accordingly, it is not desired to be limited other than by the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposedrectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom Walls being of greater width than the side walls; a closure flap on each of the opposite ends of one of said side walls, each of said sidewall closure flaps having a slit along, the line of juncture of said side wall and its attached flaps and each slit terminating a predetermined distance from the iii) opposite free edges of its flap; a closure flap on each end of the other of'said side walls adapted to overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton, each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue-attached to its outer free edge for insertion into-the slit in the opposite side wall end flap at such endof the carton; and a generally rectangularclosure flap on each end of another of said walls, each of said last-mentioned flaps having a diagonal cutting line extending from a point on that of its free lateral edges which is adjacent to the side wall flap carryinga tongue outwardly to a point on one of its other free edges.

. 2. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposedrectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side Walls;- a closure flap on each of the opposite ends of one of said side walls, each of 'said side wall closure flaps having a slit along the lineof juncture of said side wall and its attached flaps and each slit terminating a predetermined distance from the opposite free edges of its flap; a closure flap on each end of the other. of said side walls adapted to overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton, each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit in the opposite side wall end flap at such end of the carton; a generally rectangular closure flap on each end of said top wall, each of said top wall flaps having a diagonal cutting line extending from a point on that of it freelateral edges which is adjacent to the side wall fiapcarrying a tongue outwardly toa point on one of its otherfree edges; and a cut ting line extending longitudinally intermediate of theside edges and from end to end of that one of said side walls which carries the slit closure flaps, the last-mentioned cutting line also continuing across said slit closure flaps to the outer ends thereof and dividing the slits.

3. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a generally rectangular closure flap at each end of said top. wall; a closure flap on each of the opposite ends of one of said side walls, there being a slit through each of said side wall closure flaps along the line of juncture of the flap and its attached side Wall and each slit terminating within the bounds of the opposite free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on each end of the other of said side walls adapted to overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton, each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge, for insertion into the slit in the correspondingly opposite side wall end flap at such end of the carton, and each of said top wall flaps having a diagonal cutting line en tending from a point on that of its free lateral edges which is adjacent to the side wall flap carrying a tongue outwardly to a point on one of its other free edges adjacent to the juncture of such other free edges, there being a cutting line extendinglongitudinally between the side edges and from endto end of that one of said side walls which carries the slit closure flaps, the last-mentioned cutting line also continuing across said slit closure flaps to their outer ends to form divisions thereof and crossing each of said slits between the endsthereof, and the said divisions of each divided closure flap having cutting lines indicating complementary interlocking means.

4. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a generally rectangular closure flap at each end of said top wall; a closure flap on each of the opposite ends of one of said side walls, there being a slit through each of said side wall closure flaps along the line of juncture of the flap andits attached side wall and each slit terminating within the bounds of the opposite free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on each end of the other of said side walls adapted to overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton; each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit in the correspondingly opposite side wall end flap at such end of the carton, and each of said top wall flaps having a diagonal cutting lineextending from a point on that of its free lateral edges which is adjacent to the side wall flap carrying a tongue to a point on one of its other free edges adjacent to the juncture of such other free edges, there being a cutting line extending between the side edges and from end to end of that one of said side walls which carries the slit closure flaps, the last-mentioned cutting line also continuing across said slit closure flaps to their outer ends to form divisions thereof and dividing each of said slits transversely, the said divisions of each divided closure flap having cutting lines indicating complementary interlocking means, and each of said tucking tongues having cutting lines indicating a part of predetermined interlocking means.

5. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described compris ing, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a closure fiap on each of the opposite ends of one of said side walls, there being a slit through each of said side wall closure flaps along the line of juncture of the flap and its attached side wall and each slit terminating within the bounds of the opposite free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on each end of the other of said side walls adapted to overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton, each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit in the correspondingly opposite sidewall end flap at such end of the carton, and. there being a cutting line extending longitudinally intermediate of the side edges and from end to end of that one of said side walls which carries the slit closure flaps, the last-mentioned cutting line also continuing across said slit closure flaps to the outer ends thereof and dividing the slits.

6. A carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a closure flap on each of the opposite ends of one of'said side walls, there being a slit through each of said side wall closure flaps along the line of juncture of the flap and its attached side wall and each slit terminating within thebounds of the opposite free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on each end of the other of said side walls adapted to'overlie all other closure flaps at its end of the carton, each of such closure flaps having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit in the opposite side wall end flap at such end of the carton, there being a cutting line extending longitudinally between the side edges and from end to end of that one of said side Walls which carries the slit closure flaps, the last-mentioned cutting line also continuing across said slit closure flaps to their outer ends to form divisions thereof and crossing each of said slits between the ends thereof, and the said divisions of each divided closure flap having cutting lines indicating complementary interlocking means.

7. A blank adaptedto be folded into a carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of rectangular panels forming side walls; a pair of rectangular panels forming a top wall and a bottom wall alternating with said side Walls, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a closure flap on one end of one of said side walls, there being a slit through said side wall closure flap "along the line of juncture of the flap and its attached side wall, said slit terminating a predetermined distance from free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on the other side wall at the same end of the blank adapted to overlie the first-mentioned closure flap and having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit in the opposite side wall end flap when the blank is folded into carton form, said blank having a cutting line indicated longitudinally and intermediate the sides of thelfirst-mentioned side wall and ex tended to the free terminal end of theflap at tached thereto for division of said flap into two parts, one of said flap parts having an indicated slit and the other an indicated tongue adapted to be interlocked together.

8. A blank adapted to be folded into a carton of substantially parallelepiped shape and of the character described comprising, a pair of rectangular panels adapted to form side walls alternating with a pair of rectangular panels adapted to form a top Wall and a bottom wall, said top and bottom walls being of greater width than the side walls; a closure flap on one end of one of said side Walls, there being a slit through said side wall closure flap along the line of juncture of the flap and its attached side wall, said slit terminating a predetermined distance from the opposite free edges of its flap; and a closure flap on the other side wall at the end thereof that is on the same side of the blank as the first-mentioned flap having a tucking tongue attached to its outer free edge for insertion into the slit, in the opposite side wall end flap when the blank is folded into carton form, there being an indicated cutting line extending longitudinally of the first-mentioned side wall and across said slit flap to the outer free end thereof dividing such Wall and flap into two parts, one of such parts of the flap having an indicated slit and the other part having an indicated tongue,-the first-mentioned side wall havingiindicated cutting lines at each side of said longitudinal cutting line for the formation of means to interlock with complementary parts of another blank. V

9, A toy building constructed from two carto each of which is of the character of the carton described in claim 5, each of said cartons having been out along said cutting line, one pair of correspondingly similar out edges of the cartons being secured together to'provide a roof, the other pair of correspondingly cut edges of the cartons being secured together to form a floor spaced from the roof, one pair of correspondingly similar divisions of the slit closure flaps depending from the roof at one end of: the structure and the other pair of correspondingly similar divisions of the slit closure flaps upstanding from the floor at the same end of the structure and secured to the depending pair of flap divisions thereat whereby to form apost extending from the roof to the floor.

10. A toy building constructed from two cartons each'of which is of the character of the carton described in claim 3, each of said cartons having been out along said cutting line, one pair of correspondingly similar cut edges of the cartons being secured together to provide a roof, the other pair of correspondingly cut edges of the cartons being secured together to form a floor spaced from th roof, one pair of correspondingly similar divisions of the slit closure flaps depending from the roof at one end of the structure and the other pair of correspondingly similar divisions of the slit closure flaps upstanding from the floor at the same end of the structure and secured to the depending pair of flap divisions thereat whereby to form a post extending from the roof to the floor, the remainin parts of the top wall closure fiaps,'when the same have been out along said diagonal cutting lines, forming gables. a

11. A toy building constructed from two similar tubular cartons each of which is of parallelepiped form, one of the sides of each carton being divided into two parts by cutting the same longitudinally, each of the parts of the out side of one carton being joined to the corresponding part of the out side of the other carton to provide an enclosing structure having substantially twice the volume of either individual carton, each of said cartons having building structural features printed thereon in an arrangement whereby to mate with the other carton in the semblance of a predetermined type of building.

piped form, one of the sides of each carton being divided into two parts by cutting the same longitudinally, each of the parts of the out side of one carton being joined to the corresponding part of thecut side of the other carton to provide an enclosing structure having substantially twice the volume of either individual carton, each of said cartons having building structural features printed. thereon in an arrangement whereby to mate with the other carton in the semblanceof a predetermined structure, at least one of said cartons having a closure flap at one end, said closure flap being printed to represent a building structural unit. 7

13. A toy building constructed from two similar tubular cartons each of which is of parallele- 7 part of the out side of the other carton to provide an enclosing structure having substantially twice the volume of either, individual carton, each of said cartons having building structural features printed thereon in an arrangement whereby to mate with the other carton in the semblance of a predetermined structure, said one side of each carton having a closure flap at one end thereof and which flap is also divided by cutting the same as a continuation of said cutting of said one side, and means for interlocking said flap divisions together across one end of the structure provided by the combined cartons. 7

14. A toy building constructed from two similarly dimensioned cartons each of which is of substantially parallelepiped form and has one pair of substantially opposite sides of substantially equal dimensions and another pair of substantially opposite sides of substantially equal dimensions, one pair of said sides being of lesser Width than the width of the other said pair, one of the lesser width sides of one carton having a closure flap thereon at one of its ends, the corresponding lesser side of the other carton having a closure flap thereon at its opposite end, Said one lesser width side and the fiap thereon of each carton being divided longitudinally thereof into two strips, the correspondingly similar division edges of the two cartons being joined together with one carton rotated end for end through in a horizontal plane with respect to the other, the corresponding strips of the said divided flaps being at one end of the structure and arranged to overlap one another, and means securing said divided flaps in overlapped relationship.

ALBERT B. KNEE. 

